ASE G1 Auto Maintenance and Light RepairMaintenance and Light RepairMedium
A technician is performing a battery test using a battery load tester. The battery's CCA rating is 600. For a proper load test, what amperage should the tester apply for 15 seconds?
- A1200 amps.
- B600 amps.
- C900 amps.
- D300 amps.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. 300 amps.
A standard battery load test applies a load equal to half (50%) of the battery's Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) rating for 15 seconds. Therefore, for a 600 CCA battery, the load should be 300 amps.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 1200 amps is double the CCA rating, which is far too high and would likely damage the battery or tester.
- B. Applying the full CCA rating would be an excessive load for a standard load test and could damage a marginal battery.
- C. 900 amps is 1.5 times the CCA rating, which is too high.
Battery Load Test
A diagnostic procedure that applies a specified electrical load to a vehicle battery to determine its ability to deliver current under simulated starting conditions.
- Tests the battery's capacity to hold voltage under load.
- Standard load is typically 50% of the CCA rating.
- Load is applied for 15 seconds.
- Voltage should remain above a specified minimum (e.g., 9.6V) during the test.
Memory trick: Half the power for 15 seconds, then check the voltage health.